On November 4, from 1 to 3 pm, the Chapman Museum’s new exhibit, Personal Effects, which highlights a wide variety of items from the museum’s collection, will open to the public.

The event is free and open to the public. The exhibit runs through March 30, 2019.

According to the Cambridge English dictionary, “Personal Effects” are “Things you own that you often carry with you.”

In a well-known Capital One commercial, Samuel L. Jackson asks, “What’s in Your Wallet?” A quick search of the internet reveals that our culture is fascinated by what we carry. Over 10 million people viewed Family Fun Pack’s “What’s in My Backpack?” to find out what the twins got for school supplies. Amoeba Music’s “What’s in My Bag?” YouTube site has over 241,000 subscribers who are curious to see what musicians are buying in the L.A. store. One also can find out what people carry by searching on: what’s in my purse, soccer bag, tennis bag, gym bag, travel bag, carryon, beach bag, even Zombie bag.

Museum staff searched through the museum’s collections, finding more than three hundred personal items that people would have carried.

The exhibit will include objects that people used to carry their belongings as well as different examples of personal effects including watches, sewing kits, keys, compacts, handkerchiefs, wallets, tintypes, fobs, pins, lockets, pill containers, perfume bottles, marbles and jacks. While some items are quite universal, others are specific to a particular occupation, such as a carpenter or physician; or an association, such as a fire company or fraternal organization.

The Chapman Museum is located at 348 Glen Street, Glens Falls. For more info call (518) 793-2826 or visit the museum’s website.

Photo of blue enamel compact from the 1933 Chicago World’s Fair provided.